Physics:Quantum photon field: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Quantized electromagnetic field whose excitations are photons}}
{{Short description|Quantized electromagnetic field whose excitations are photons}}


{{Quantum matter backlink|Fields}}
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The '''quantum photon field''' is the quantized electromagnetic field. Its particle-like excitations are photons, while its field description carries information about electromagnetic modes, polarization, phase, energy, and momentum. The photon-field concept is the basis of quantum electrodynamics, quantum optics, lasers, spontaneous emission, and light-matter interaction.<ref>{{cite web |title=Photon |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photon |website=Wikipedia |access-date=19 May 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Schwartz |first=Matthew D. |title=Quantum Field Theory and the Standard Model |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2014 |isbn=978-1-107-03473-0}}</ref>
The '''quantum photon field''' is the quantized electromagnetic field. Its particle-like excitations are photons, while its field description carries information about electromagnetic modes, polarization, phase, energy, and momentum. The photon-field concept is the basis of quantum electrodynamics, quantum optics, lasers, spontaneous emission, and light-matter interaction.<ref>{{cite web |title=Photon |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photon |website=Wikipedia |access-date=19 May 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Schwartz |first=Matthew D. |title=Quantum Field Theory and the Standard Model |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2014 |id=ISBN 978-1-107-03473-0}}</ref>
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== Modes and polarization ==
== Modes and polarization ==
Quantizing the electromagnetic field decomposes it into modes, each of which can have discrete occupation numbers. A one-photon state is one excitation of a mode, while coherent light contains superpositions of many photon-number states.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Peskin |first1=Michael E. |last2=Schroeder |first2=Daniel V. |title=An Introduction to Quantum Field Theory |publisher=Addison-Wesley |year=1995 |isbn=978-0-201-50397-5}}</ref>
Quantizing the electromagnetic field decomposes it into modes, each of which can have discrete occupation numbers. A one-photon state is one excitation of a mode, while coherent light contains superpositions of many photon-number states.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Peskin |first1=Michael E. |last2=Schroeder |first2=Daniel V. |title=An Introduction to Quantum Field Theory |publisher=Addison-Wesley |year=1995 |id=ISBN 978-0-201-50397-5}}</ref>


== Gauge field ==
== Gauge field ==
The photon field is an Abelian gauge field associated with electromagnetic interactions. Charged matter fields couple to it, producing absorption, emission, scattering, and electromagnetic forces.<ref>{{cite journal |collaboration=Particle Data Group |title=Review of Particle Physics |journal=Physical Review D |volume=110 |issue=3 |pages=030001 |year=2024 |doi=10.1103/PhysRevD.110.030001}}</ref>
The photon field is an Abelian gauge field associated with electromagnetic interactions. Charged matter fields couple to it, producing absorption, emission, scattering, and electromagnetic forces.<ref>{{cite journal |collaboration=Particle Data Group |title=Review of Particle Physics |journal=Physical Review D |volume=110 |issue=3 |pages=030001 |year=2024 |id=DOI 10.1103/PhysRevD.110.030001}}</ref>


== Optical interpretation ==
== Optical interpretation ==

Revision as of 21:38, 19 May 2026



The quantum photon field is the quantized electromagnetic field. Its particle-like excitations are photons, while its field description carries information about electromagnetic modes, polarization, phase, energy, and momentum. The photon-field concept is the basis of quantum electrodynamics, quantum optics, lasers, spontaneous emission, and light-matter interaction.[1][2]

Photon field: electromagnetic modes and polarization in quantum theory.

Modes and polarization

Quantizing the electromagnetic field decomposes it into modes, each of which can have discrete occupation numbers. A one-photon state is one excitation of a mode, while coherent light contains superpositions of many photon-number states.[3]

Gauge field

The photon field is an Abelian gauge field associated with electromagnetic interactions. Charged matter fields couple to it, producing absorption, emission, scattering, and electromagnetic forces.[4]

Optical interpretation

In quantum optics, the photon field is used to describe interference, squeezing, entanglement, single-photon sources, and measurement statistics. It links classical wave optics with discrete detector events.[5]

See also

Table of contents (84 articles)

Index

Full contents

References

  1. "Photon". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photon. 
  2. Schwartz, Matthew D. (2014). Quantum Field Theory and the Standard Model. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-107-03473-0. 
  3. Peskin, Michael E.; Schroeder, Daniel V. (1995). An Introduction to Quantum Field Theory. Addison-Wesley. ISBN 978-0-201-50397-5. 
  4. "Review of Particle Physics". Physical Review D 110 (3): 030001. 2024. DOI 10.1103/PhysRevD.110.030001. 
  5. "Photon". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photon. 


Author: Harold Foppele


Source attribution: Physics:Quantum photon field